Paper Cutter Blade

Just had my blade sharpened in my yet-to-be-named (in terms of brand) paper cutter… just not sure which way to put the blade in…

One side is angled in, the other is not… should the angle be facing me (where the stock being cut would essentially be the off-cut) or facing the stock to be cut (what will be used later…).

Thoughts from folks with a guillotine cutter in their posession?

Thanks!

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I have a 19 inch Challenge Advance cutter and the angled side faces the operator!

Angle side ALWAYS faces OUT, or you’d get bound up very quick with stock between the blade and clamp.

Thanks for the responses Dennis and Mike- I had thought that was the correct way, but since I didn’t take note of which way the blade was taken out, I wanted to confirm before I got myself into deep waters with an extreamly (and newly) sharpened 23in blade. Much appreciated!

btw— my blade sharpening was only $23. I’m certianly not complaining, but I wonder how a business remains running with such inexpensive services? I’ll likely not need another sharpening for quite a while (not, that is to say, assuming i’m their only client, but it’s still interesting).

We sharpen between 1 and 5 blades a week so at times it feels like we spend a fortune!

Evseidl, I have used Boston Saw and Knife for years, they are a good company, and they will pick up and deliver around the Boston area. Good Luck Dick G.

Dick—thats who I used! great folks over there!

.. awbunny: In that instance, I can completely understand!! I should have mentioned that I only have 1 cutter to deal with, and while $23 is fairly inexpensive, if I had to do this every week (of 5 at a time!!) I would be driven right to the poor house!

Out of curiousity, I had the blade sharpened based on the comments from the seller (when I first purchased the cutter), but when she tested out the cutting function with about an inch of paper, it sliced just fine. I figured it couldn’t hurt to have it sharpened anyway…

What are some tell tale signs the blade needs to be resharpened (besides it just not cutting through paper at all, though I have to believe the force of the arm would make it at least do ‘something’)?

When your blade is dull it will still cut, but the paper could get rolled edges, stuck a little together, or the paper gets pulled away from the back gauge. I run a small one man shop, use my cutter only about 5 or 6 hours a week, i only use one or two blades a year. I once used a local guy to sharpen my knife, the edge rolled over and would not cut anything, i’ve used Boston Saw since and never had a problem, its been about 30 years. Good Luck Dick G>

any nicks down the side of the cut edge of your lift would indicate nicks in your blade. once you get the feel of the sharp blade,,,,as it dulls you will see,(and hear) as dickg points out, the blade “drawing” the lift. you can easily see this when after a cut, rejogging the stock to the backguage, it should be nice and verticle. any angle to the cut edge indicates draw… recycled “chip doard” is a menace to a cutter blade.

Time to get the blade sharpened. Anyone know a good place in Chicago to have one sharpened?

Thanks - Charles

Charles, look in the Yellow Pages under “Industrial Sharpening”. Just any old sharpening shop with grandpa putting a quick grind on lawnmower blades out back is not going to cut it. (Pardon the pun).

Also, if you have MAC Paper Co. outlet there, give them a ring and ask where they have their cutter blades done. They sharpen once a week.

Here in Jacksonville, FL Frank’s Industrial Sharpening does a fine job for us. $16.00 for a 24” blade.

Tom